Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 29.djvu/146

 110 ANCIENT rOKTKAITURES OF OUR L0E1 that fiLiurod by Mr. King- may be due to the imperfect skill eitlier of the engraver or of the Oxford Hebraists, it must be admitted that it wouKl be unsafe to aflirni that the medals are absolutely identical. On the obverse, the Hebrew characters denoting the name Jesus arc omitted in Ivowlands' plate ; the five lines on the reverse are also reduced to four, which I have sought in vain to identify with the words on my medal, explained as signifying — ^Fessiah tlie king came in peace,and being made the light of men he lives. Hottinger, I may observe, mentions such pieces as occurring both in gold and silver. Waser had described the medal, of the same type as that which I possess, as of silver ; he adverts to the letter of Lentulus and the description of the Saviour's person, received by Tiberius, as the authority for the portraiture."* The Rev. Dr. Walsh, in his " Essay on Ancient Medals and Gems, illustrating the progress of Christianity in the earl}'' ages," had obtained from a Polish Jew at Rostoc, in Germany, one of these medals. It excited his curiosity, as appearing to have been struck from the same die as that found in co. Cork in 1812,^ and supposed to have been brought into Ireland at some early period after the introduction of the faith. His observations will be read with interest ; the metal, he observes, is a singular composition, paler than brass, does not tarnish, and is very sonorous. By the engraving that accompanies his account, there seems to have been a pro- jection at the upi)er edge, possibly a broken loop, by which the piece might be worn as a pendant or talisman. The learned Lcusden figured the medal in question from one of brass in his possession, and describes it as a shekel — " Siclus est Judieo-Christianus," but he has wholly lost the fine type of the features, and, as also in Dr. Walsh's litho- graph, the inscription on the reverse is iinj^erfectly rej>re- scnted.*" It .shonirc-HnM of tliu nncii-nt niommtory, of tho liiHt ChriHtinn nichil by Morinim, du I^ing. I'riniaiv., c. ngi>. ix, l». «'»5 ; WnKcnmnl.ftpiid SiirfidiUHiiiH, '■ [.(uiHdon, I'liilologuM MiOiniMiH, 1071, t. iii. p.239; AliiUKliuii, I'nt'cognita Thoo- pp 11»1, I'.cj, DiMMorUtio ilo NimimiM. Tlio logia, Ac. nii'diil jh nacriljod to Jowi«li cnnvcrtfl by
 * Ilottingor, do KuintnU OricntAlium, p C. TIio modal had been found in
 * WaUb, F^itiuiy, SiC, Mcond odlliun, AUlodiua.